Wrench.



J. L. OLIVER.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3, 1911.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

MiVE/VTOR 7 of WW M BY FAmR/vm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE L. OLIVER, OF VICTORIA, TEXAS.

WRENCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jnssm L. OLIVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Victoria, in the county of Victoria and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in wrenches.

The object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the character described which is particularly designed to grip pipe and turn the same and will be found useful in screwing and unscrewing sections of pipe which are united by screw connections.

A further feature of the device resides in the provision of means whereby the wrench may be adjusted so as to grip any size of pipe, and secured to any point of adjust ment.

With the above and other objects in View my invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction and op eration an example of which is described in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the com-- plete wrench. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of the operative mechanism thereof, and Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken on the line a-a of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 4 refers to the wrench handle. The end of this handle opposite the grip end is somewhat thicker than the grip portion and has longitudinal grooves 5 and 6, for a purpose hereinafter to be set forth, and its extreme end is enlarged into a head or jaw 7, whose operative face is concaved so as to conform to the shape of the pipe, and is also ratchet-toothed so as to engage against the pipe to be rotated and to firmly grip the same.

The numeral 8 refers to a pipe grip, which is slidably secured on the handle 4 and whose free end is curved into hook 9 and is provided to engage around the pipe to be rotated, and this hook 9 is hinged to the body of the grip so as to be more easily en. gaged over the pipe. The grip 8 is pivotally secured between the guide members 10 and 11 which are secured firmly together by means of bridge 12 and which embrace the handle 4: on each side and carry, respec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1911.

Patented Sept. 12, 1911. Serial No. 618,694.

tively, the ribs 13 and 14, which project into the grooves 5 and 6, respectively, and move along said grooves as the wrench is adjusted to accommodate different sized pipes, the bridge member 12 resting against the edge of handle 4 thus serving as a brace for the guide members 10 and 11 and rendering their movement true.

In order to further secure the grip to the handle I have provided a guide composed of members 15 and 16, secured to the free end of grip 8 on each side and straddling the handle 1 and carrying between their free ends the rack member 17 for a purpose hereinafter to be set forth. Between the members 15 and 16 and also between the grip and handle 4L is the locking cam 18. This cam is rotatable in suitable bearings in the members 15 and 16 and its shaft 19 extends through the member 15*and is provided with a hand lever 20, which is rigid with said shaft and by the manipulation of which the cam 18 may be rotated. This locking cam is substantially cylindrical but has one side flattened, as shown. When the lever 20 is so manipulated as to turn the flat side of the cam toward the handle 4 a considerable space is left between said handle and cam and the guide is permitted to play laterally relatively to handle 4t, and when in this position the rack teeth 21 of rack member 17 are disengaged from rack teeth 22, carried upon the outer edge of handle 4: by reason of the pressure of spring 23 against the grip 8. This spring is secured to the guide members 10 and 11 and is held in resistance to said grip 8 by means of pin 24 carried by said guide members, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and when the cam 18 is turned, as above indicated, so as not to contact wit-h handle 4, the resistance of spring 23 operates to cause grip 8 to partially rotate on its pivotal support and carry said rack teeth 21 and 22 out of engagement. The wrench may then be adjusted so as to grip the desired size of pipe and the hand lever 20 manipulated so as to give the locking cam 18 a half turn which, by reason of its resistance to handle 4: will operate to draw the teeth 21 into locked engagement with teeth 22 and hold said teeth in engagement and secure the wrench firmly engaged on the pipe to be turned.

In use, the wrench is first unlocked and the hook 9 is then drawn back on its hinge and the jaw 7 placed against the pipe to be turned. The hook 9 is then engaged over the pipe and the wrench so adjusted as to firmly grip said pipe and then looked in position in the manner hereinbefore indi cated.

- What I claim is 1. A device of the character described including a suitable handle and a grip jaw carried thereby and a pipe engaging means slidably secured to said handle and disposed to engage around a pipe section and hold the same against said grip jaw, a guide secured to said pipe engaging means and embracing said handle on each side, engaging means carried by said handle and similar engaging means carried by said guide, a means for locking and unlocking said engaging means, and means automatically disengaging said engaging means when unlocked,

2. A device of the character described ineluding a suitable handle and a grip jaw hook hingedly secured to said grip members and disposed to oppose said grip jaw, a guide secured to said grip member and embracing said handle, rack teeth carried by the handle and a rack member carried by said guide and arranged so as to be readily engaged with and disengaged from said rack teeth, a means for causing the engagement of said rack member with said rack teeth and for permitting the disengagement thereof, a means for causing the disengagement of said rack member from said rack teeth, and guide members, to which said grip member is pivotally attached, having a slidable engagement with said handle on each side.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JESSE L. OLIVER.

Witnesses:

R. RIVERS MIZELL, K. LA PRADE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

